Tom Ford’s Favorite Scent: Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum

The other week I made my way to the 92Y where Tom Ford was being interviewed by Fern Mallis. If one thing is for absolute sure it’s that Ford certainly doesn’t disappoint…I’ve never seen a more immaculate man in my life! Better yet, he’s actually funny (often adorably so…). I picked up a number of interesting tidbits during the talk including that, unlike most people Tom Ford doesn’t “look stupid in a cowboy hat;” Ford has worked with Marc Jacobs, Christopher Bailey, and Francisco Costa and he’s “always wanted to be a cosmetic surgeon,” because “it’s like fashion; they’re architectural, you have to figure out where the seams go.” As a beauty buff with a particularly strong affinity for fragrances however I was most excited to learn that the designer is coming out with a new men’s scent, Noir, in October and that his usual go-to is Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum ($195-$475). Needless to say I left the talk dying to get my hands on a bottle of Ford’s favorite fragrance.

Admittedly as much as I wanted it to be a favorite, Tobacco Vanille is a tad too heavy on vanilla to replace White Suede, Jasmin Rouge, or Jamine Musk as one of my favorites, but I love that – love it or hate it – it’s an undeniably unique and very complex scent that changes as time wears away. Notes include tobacco leaf, tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla, and cocoa making for an interesting mix of sweetness and nuttiness (as the fragrances progresses I found that it became less sweet). It’s certainly a conversation starter and worth checking-out for anyone looking for something out of the ordinary.